Connection
by EOlove
Summary: Dickie Stabler's best friend has a secret, one that will change the life of a detective forever. EO
1. Chapter 1

Lauren Smith was crying as she climbed the stairs to the 1-6 precinct. She knew her best friend, Dickie's, father worked at the Special Victims Unit of the NYPD. She had to look like a wreck. Her clothes were covered in blood and her hair was a mess.

She entered the elevator and pressed the button for the Special Victims Floor. She sat down on the floor and put her face in her hands. She was so ashamed. Ding. She looked up as the door was opening. She was so weak. She forced herself to stand up. She walked out of the elevator. She looked around for Mr. Stabler but all she saw was a pretty, middle-aged woman sitting at a desk typing on a computer. She was so desperate she started walking towards her.

Olivia Benson sat at her desk finishing up the last of her and her partner's latest case. Everyone else had already went home. She caught a glimpse of someone walking towards her. She looked up and saw a teenage girl, maybe 16 or 17, clothes covered in blood, her hair was matted and ratty, and she had a hand print across the left side of her face. Olivia immediately got up from her desk and ran to her. The girl fell into her arms crying.

"Please, I need to speak to Mr.—Detective Stabler. Please," Lauren sat down in a near by chair and Olivia pulled another one up beside her.

"He went home but I'm his partner, Detective Benson, Olivia. You need to get to a hospital."

Lauren's eyes filled with terror, "No, no! They'll call him and he'll hurt me. No, please!"

"Who? Who will hurt you?" Olivia had never met this girl in her life, but for some strange reason she felt an instant connection to her.

"My dad," Lauren choked.

"Sweetheart, you're in bad shape. You need medical attention. I promise it'll just be me and you and I can call Elliot if you want?"

"You can't protect me. He'll find out. I know it." Lauren's sobbing became louder.

"Yes, me and Detective Stabler will protect you. Now please, you need help."

Lauren looked up into Olivia's eyes. In those eyes she saw something she had neither had nor felt in her entire life, concern, love, and trust. She had never met this woman before and Olivia didn't even know her name, but she felt she had known her for her entire life. Lauren nodded. "Okay," she whispered, "okay."

"I'll call a bus and Elliot."

"No, I can walk down to a ca—" Lauren passed out and began to fall forward. Olivia caught her before she hit her head on a near by table. She gently laid her on the ground and picked up a phone.

"I need a bus at the 1-6 precinct. Young teenage girl is unconscious and beaten up."

Olivia hung up and proceeded to call Elliot.

"El, sorry I know it's late but there's been an incident. Victim was asking for you…"

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Elliot," Elliot heard his partner's familiar voice as he entered the pediatric floor of the Manhattan Hospital.

"Liv, where is she?"

"She unconscious, but I'll take you to her." Olivia began to lead Elliot towards her room. "Sorry about not catching her name."

Elliot and Olivia reached her room and Elliot looked inside. He instantly knew who it was even though she could hardly be recognized through all of her bruises. "Lauren."

"Hmm," Olivia responded.

"Her name is Lauren. Lauren Smith." Elliot felt as if it was his own daughter lying there. She had been Dickie's best friend ever since their freshman year. She was considered one of the boys to Dickie even though she was probably one of the prettiest girl in their high school.

"Elliot, you okay?" Olivia asked. She was concerned about him and Lauren.

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know. I think it was her father though. She said that she didn't want to come here because she didn't want him to find out."

"Makes sense."

"What does?"

"She would be over at our house all the time. Her and Liz were close, but not as close as her and Dickie. She would always hang out with Dickie and his friends. Dickie had brought it up one time that he noticed Lauren had a lot of bruises on her arms, legs and such. He said every time he asked her about it, she would change the subject. I only met he father once, Dickie had me drop her off at her house. He ran out and yelled at me and said to stay away. That was three days ago. I was gonna call her tomorrow." Elliot could feel tears welling in his eyes.

"El, I'm sorry." Olivia placed her hand on his shoulder. Elliot turned to look at her.

"Thanks." Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Lauren stirring. She was coming to. Elliot entered the room with Olivia and sat down next to Lauren's bed. "Lauren, can you hear me?" Her eyes slowly opened.

"Lauren, can you hear me?" Lauren could hear someone talking to her. Lauren awoke to the familiar faces of Elliot and Olivia. She had no clue where she was or how she got there. "What?" Her voice sounded funny to her.

"Hey, Lauren. How are you?" Elliot was relieved to see that she responded to him.

"Mr. Stabler, sorry that I asked for you. I know you rarely get some time off."

"No, no, it's fine. I just wanna know what happened." Elliot voice was full of concern.

"I—He, my dad, we were eating dinner and I told him that I was going to Dickie's house to study. He went nuts, said that didn't I know his dad was a cop and I was a rat. I started hitting me and kicking me. Then he grabbed a knife off of the table and cut my shoulder. Then he tried to kill—" Lauren was in complete torture, if only she could have told sooner this wouldn't have happened. "He tried to stab me but I kicked him and he was thrown off guard so I ran for the door and hopped a cab to the precinct."

Elliot was so angry. Why didn't he see this? He had spent almost every other day with her for 2 years. "This wasn't the first time was it?"

"No, he hit me almost everyday."

"Is he your only family?" Olivia wanted to find out if there was anyone else that should know.

"Yeah, my mom died when I was 2 and both my parents were only children. My grandparents are all dead."

Olivia truly felt for this girl. She had never had a chance. This girl had lived her whole life with this sick man. "Friends?"

"Other than Dickie and Liz, no, not really. All the girls in my school hate me because I hang out with the boys and all the boys are real jerks."

Olivia realized her and Lauren had a lot in common. Both had grown up with no family other than a troubled single parent. Up until about a year ago Olivia had no family until she found Simon.

"Where is you father?" Olivia wanted Munch and Fin to go and arrest him.

"I dunno, probably at home."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Joe Smith, you're under arrest," Munch flashed his I.D. badge at Mr. Smith. It was 2 in the morning when Benson had called him and he was tired, but he knew this guy had to be off the street.

"On what charge?" Mr. Smith had this dumfounded look on his face.

"How about assault, endangering the welfare of a child, attempted rape, you pick."

Munch cuffed him and Fin read him his rights and they headed to the station house to book him.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Lauren has suffered a minor concussion and two rib fractures. The cut she sustained was deep, but not life threatening." Elliot listened intently as the nurse read him and Olivia the extent of Lauren's injuries. "Also, I noticed some calluses on some of her other ribs, possibly sustained by long term abuse. She'll have to stay here over night, but she will be able to be released in the morning. I'm afraid you two detectives must go now though, the doctor says she needs to rest." Lauren had already fallen back asleep. Her steady breathing could be heard.

Elliot and Olivia left the room and headed out to Elliot's car. "I can't believe—" Elliot kicked the trash near by over and over.

"Elliot, Elliot, ELLIOT!" Olivia ran to him and pulled him away from the bin. "Listen it's not your fault." She laid her hands on his shoulders. She could feel his tense muscles under her grip begin to ease with her touch.

"I never saw her hurt, Liv. She was over all the time. I knew something was wrong, but never like this." Elliot eyes shone with unshed tears of sorrow and guilt and regret for Lauren.

"I know you feel bad, but you need to be there for her now. Come on, let's see what Munch, Fin, and Cragen have got on our perp."

With that, Elliot and Liv hopped into Elliot's car and drove to the station house.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia and Elliot walked into the precinct. Liv walked over to the interrogation room to see Mr. Smith. She recognized his face, but couldn't quite place it.

Munch walked over to her and handed her the case file. "Thought you and Elliot might want to interrogate him. It seems like our Mr. Smith is dead, But not as Joe Smith, he was listed as a Joseph Hollister." Munch walked away to go see what Fin was doing.

"Liv, you okay?" Elliot had walked up to her. Her face had gone white as a sheet. Joseph Hollister was her father's name. Her father she had never met, the father that had raped her mother.

"Elliot, I—" tears welled in her eyes. She shoved the case file into Elliot's hands and ran to the restroom.

Elliot was puzzled. He looked down at the file in his arms. Immediately, the name Joseph Hollister stuck out in his mind. Oh my God! He's alive, this whole time. He lied to his wife, Simon, and Liv, oh God, Liv. And Lauren! Elliot ran to the restroom and knocked on the door. "Liv?"

"Please leave me alone." He could tell she was crying pretty hard.

"Liv, please, talk to me." He waited for a few seconds and heard the door unlock. The door opened revealing Liv with tears streaming down her face.

Olivia had never felt more vulnerable in her life. She felt like a frightened child. She stood there with the restroom door open looking directly into the eyes of her best friend. She flung her arms around his waist and buried her head in his shoulder and cried. "Elliot, what am I gonna do? What—I dunno where to start?" She released her grip and looked at him for some answers.

"Liv, tell Cragen to get you off this case, it's too personal."

"No, I can handle it."

"No, Liv, you've searched your whole life for this guy and when you finally get some closure, BAM! He walks into your life AFTER you think he's dead. You need off this case. Talk to someone, Simon, Me, whoever but take a break."

Olivia knew he was making sense, so she decided to talk to Cragen. "Okay, okay."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Cragen, we've solved a cold case." Liv walked into his office and shut the door.

"Good, who's?" Cragen looked up from his computer.

"Serena Benson." Olivia almost choked.

"Liv, I am sorry. I thought he was dead."

"So did I, but it turns out Mr. Smith, aka Joseph Hollister, faked his death after the police in upper state were on him for another rape. Cragen, I want off the case, no, I don't want off the case but I need off this case."

"I understand, go take a break. Come back when your ready."

"Thanks," and with that Liv grabbed her stuff and headed out. She decided she could talk to Elliot later. Now, she needed to go home and tell Simon about his father. Also, she had to think about Lauren and what she was going to say to her.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Joseph Smith or should I say Joseph Hollister," Cragen watched through the mirror as Elliot began the interrogation.

"I want my lawyer."

"He's coming."

"No, I'm here. And you don't have to say anything."

"Sure, just prolong the agony." Elliot said as Smith and his lawyer walked out of the door.

"I'm sure that Mr. Smith, will enjoy the nice hospitality of our holding cell until you suffer the wrath of Casey Novak." Munch opened the cell door.

"When can we get a court time?" Joe's lawyer asked Cragen.

"I dunno call the A.D.A." With that, the lawyer was off. Cragen looked at his watch. 4:47. Cragen was opting for a 10:30 meeting with the courts so he needed to call Casey ASAP to let her know and prepare for his lock up.

"Cragen," Elliot interrupted his train of thought, "Uh, Munch and Fin said they can take watch him until morning, I'm gonna check on Liv and take a nap. Then I was gonna go check on the vic at the hospital and figure out how to tell her about her father. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, go. Tell Olivia that we're all here for her."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia called Simon a soon as she reached her house and told him all the news. Afterwards, she got ready for bed, she was so tired, but she couldn't sleep so she stared blankly at the ceiling, thoughts running through her mind. Her thoughts got jolted by a knock at the door. She crawled out of bed and looked through the peephole. Elliot. She ran her fingers through her hair and opened the door.

"Hey, can I come in?" Olivia opened the door wider and walked over to the couch. Elliot followed behind her and shut the door. "How are you doing?" Elliot asked as he took a seat next to Olivia.

"I honestly don't know. I called Simon, he was a little torn up, but I think he'll make it. He's got his fiancé."

"No, how are you doing?" Elliot grabbed her hands in his.

"I—I don't know. Elliot, first I find my brother, find out my father is dead. Then poof! He's alive and I find him because he has been assaulting your son's best friend for her entire life." Olivia was overwhelmed. She started to cry. Elliot put his arms around her; she laid her head on his chest. For some strange reason, being wrapped up in Elliot's arms put Liv in complete peace with the world. They both sat there in silence for a few minutes until Olivia became overwhelmed by sleep. Elliot leaned backwards and looked at Liv, something he had wanted to do for so long. He stared at her perfectly toned arms, the delicate features of her face. Elliot fell asleep looking at the most beautiful sight in the world.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia woke to Elliot's strong, steady breathing. She smiled to herself. God, he was so hot. She was wondering why he had stayed the night anyway. Then she remembered. Lauren, her father, Simon. Elliot had come over to check on her. She glanced at her watch. 8:23 a.m. Elliot stirred beneath her. He opened his eyes. He smiled at her. She returned the smile. "What time is it?" He asked stretching.

"Almost 8:30." Olivia sat up.

"We better go talk to Lauren." Elliot got up and headed for the kitchen and got himself a glass of orange juice. Olivia went into her room and changed her clothes.

"Let's go," Elliot grabbed his keys from the coffee table and they both headed out of the door.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

By the time Elliot and Olivia had gotten ready and made it to the hospital, it was nearly 9:30.

"Elliot, what do I say? I mean I dunno. I'm scared." Liv backed away from the door into Lauren's room.

"Liv, it'll be okay. Lauren will be so grateful." Elliot grabbed her hand and lead her into Lauren's room.

Lauren stirred in her sleep as Elliot and Olivia sat in the two chairs next to the bed. Her eyes fluttered open. "Hi," she said stretching.

"Lauren," Elliot said softly, "we took your father in today and found out some new information."

"What?" Lauren was looking at Olivia. She could tell Olivia was about to cry. Olivia's eyes met Lauren's and she quickly turned her gaze to Elliot. "What happened?"

"Honey," Olivia began to speak up, "your father wasn't really Joseph Smith. His name was Joseph Hollister. He faked his death and took on a new identity."

Lauren looked blankly into Olivia's eyes. "What did he do?"

"Your father lived a double life. He has a family in northern New York and you have a brother named Simon Marsdon. Also," Olivia was becoming more choked up. "Sorry, its just—" Olivia took a moment to breathe. "Your father also raped a woman named Serena Benson." Lauren's face turned a ghostly white.

"You mean like raped?" Lauren couldn't believe her ears. Her father, abusive, yeah, but a rapist.

"Yes, and Lauren I know this is hard to hear but, Serena Benson was my mom. I was conceived through my mother's rape." Olivia could barely finish her sentence. She was crying so hard. Elliot just sat there, watching, and holding Olivia's hand for support.

Lauren sat on the bed crying softly to herself. She wiped the tears from her face. "So that means, we're like sisters?"

Olivia nodded her head, almost afraid of how Lauren would react to that. She would either hate it or she would love it. As Olivia was running all of the possibilities through her mind, she felt two arms embrace her in a hug. Olivia let go of Elliot's hand, reached up, and returned the hug. That action set Lauren into tears of joy. She and Olivia sat there hugging each other and crying on each others shoulders for about 5 minutes before Olivia broke the silence.

"The doctors said that you could be released today. Do you have anywhere to go?"

"No not really."

"Well, you can come stay at my place." Olivia stated. "Or if you don't feel comfortable with that—"

Lauren cut her off, "No, that would be nice. Thank you, for everything."

"Your welcome." Olivia gave her a genuine smile of appreciation. "I'll come back around 1 and I'll get you some clothes and then we can go out to eat or whatever. Elliot could join us if you like?"

"Thanks, Liv." Elliot felt glad that Olivia hadn't forgotten that he was sitting there.

"Elliot, thank you as well." Lauren was almost embarrassed she hadn't said anything sooner.

"Your welcome." Elliot and Olivia gave Lauren their finally hugs good-bye.

"See you at 1," Olivia said as she and Elliot headed out the door and out to the precinct.

It was 10:46 by the time Elliot and Olivia reached the car. Elliot hoped in the driver's seat while Olivia plopped down in the passenger's. Elliot turned the ignition on and reversed out of the parking lot and then merged onto the main road. The whole time glancing over at Olivia to make sure she was okay. As soon as she had sat down she put her face in her hands, and she had not looked up from them.

"Liv, what are you thinking?" Elliot reached over and placed his right hand on her neck.

With her face still buried in her hands she answered, "Why couldn't I have found her sooner? I could have protected her." Olivia looked up. She was so angry, angry at her self, her father. She hit the dash board of Elliot's car. She hit it hard enough that her knuckle split open. Blood gushed from the fresh wound. "Shoot," She grabbed a napkin from inside of the dash board and put pressure on it. "Sorry, El, really. I'm just so—I can't take it." Her emotions were running high and she felt at any moment they all might come flooding out.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't think this car hasn't taken a beating or two from me?" Elliot's remark made Olivia smile and that was all it took for all her emotions to be released. She started crying. "Hey, Shh. Liv, take a minute. It's fine." Elliot rubbed his hand on her shoulders as she cried.

When they reached the precinct, Elliot parked his car in a discreet spot so that Olivia could have some time to clean herself up, because he knew she would be embarrassed if any of the other detectives saw her in such a state.

Olivia wiped her eyes with a tissue Elliot had handed her. "Thanks." Olivia looked at the cut on her knuckle. It wasn't too bad.

"I have a first aid kit in my trunk, hold on I'll get it." Elliot popped the trunk and hopped outside of the car. HE returned to his seat with the first aid kit. "Okay, let's get you doctored up." Elliot cleaned the wound and then put some antibiotics and a band-aid on it. "Wait," he said as Liv started to pull her bandaged hand finger away, "I have one final touch." With that, he gently picked up her hand and placed it in his. He brought her hand to his face a lightly kissed her wound. "Better?"

This made Olivia blush. He was so thoughtful. "Much. Thank you. For everything."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Joseph Hollister was remanded, thank God." Casey said to Cragen as Elliot and Olivia were making their way into the building. "I don't want him getting the chance to hurt his daughter any more."

"Nice work, Casey." Cragen gave her a congratulatory pat on the back.

Olivia felt sudden relieve at the news. If he would have made bail, who knows what he would have done to Lauren.

"Trial starts tomorrow, let's hope the jury will put him away," Casey said.

"With all of his prior acts, I'm sure they will." Elliot put in.

"I better go talk to the DA. He said he wanted to talk to me the moment I was out of court and that was 10 minutes ago so, I'll see you all later." Casey waved the gang a fare well and headed to the elevator.

"Glad you two made it back. Olivia, Elliot I need to see you two in my office." The pair followed their captain into his office. Elliot shut the door behind him. "You two, I want you to take a few days off. You guys have had a lot happen and I think you just need to go home and be with your family. I don't want to see you two in this precinct until I say otherwise. Okay?" The detective nodded their heads, each grateful for the captain's orders. "Okay, I talked to you later then." Cragen whisked the detectives outside his office door.

"So, what do we do now?" Elliot asked.

"I think we should go over to Lauren's house and get her some clothes. Hopefully Munch and Fin haven't totally had the search team destroy it."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

When the two reached the address, they stared at the home in awe.

"Elliot, you could have told me she lived in a mansion," Olivia said, her face still staring at the house. It was a two story home, just on the outskirts of Manhattan. Olivia was glad to see that the other police officers had left the home. She noticed that the crime scene tape was still up and posted on the front door. "Did you get the key from Cragen before you left?"

Elliot lifted his right hand and in it dangled a gold key on a silver key ring. "Yep," Elliot walked down the sidewalk that was lined with red rose bushes. It led to the front entrance of the house. He placed the key into the door and then unlocked the door. He held it open. "Ladies, first," he said in an amiable tone.

Olivia stepped in front of him and stared in astonishment at the gigantic, crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the front room. "Wow, this house is amazing." She ran her hand up the hand carved railing on the stairs. "My guess is her room is up stairs, so let's try up there." Olivia slowly walked up the steps, taking in the wonder and beauty of the home. Large painting and photographs covered the walls of the stairs, some probably worth more than her apartment. Elliot was following closely behind her. Once the detectives reached the top of the stairs, they stood in the middle of a hallway, directing to the right and the left of the home.

"I'll go to the left and you go to the right. Shout if you find her room." Olivia started to head left when Elliot stopped her.

"How will we know which room is hers?"

Olivia stared at him in disbelief, "Elliot, you have had 3 teenage girls before, and you won't be able to recognize her room? You'll know when you see it." Olivia turned and shook her head. _Men._

Elliot went the opposite direction. There were so many doors. He tried the first door on the right of the hallway. He found a rather large restroom. He tried the door on the left. He had located a bedroom. He looked around. White walls, brown and red décor, definitely not a teen's room. He shut the door and as he did he heard a voice. "Found it," he turned around and headed in the direction of the voice.

"Where are you?" he shouted.

"In here," he saw Olivia's brown hair peek from behind a door. Elliot walked over to her. "See, this is a teens room." The walls were hot pink and white diagonally striped on the two adjacent walls. The other walls were the same colors only the stripes were vertical. Framed pictures of Lauren and Dickie covered the dresser. The room was actually pretty well organized. Olivia looked under the bed and immediately saw what she was looking for. A Louis Vuitton duffle bag sat there neatly. She drug it from out under the bed. "Okay, I'll put a few outfits in here and then we can leave. Olivia found a few outfits, which wasn't hard considering the walk in closet was completely filled, and each section was color coded and put into categories. She neatly folded them and placed them in the bag. She grabbed a pair of tennis shoes and a pair of flip-flops and laid them gently in the bag. While she was doing this, Elliot was glancing around the room looking at all of the pictures. Some were of Lauren, Lizzie, and Dickie, but most contained just her and Dickie. There was even one that he was in. He stared at it. It was that last December when they had invited her over for a Christmas party. They had made gingerbread cookies and he had accidentally dropped the flour causing everyone to be coated in a thin layer of power. He was standing there and Dickie and Lauren were off to the left of the picture laughing hysterically. He was in such a trance state of mind he didn't even notice Olivia come up behind him.

"That's a good picture." She said laughing. "You ready?"

"Yeah," he started to head out of the door, "wait," he went back in and grabbed another picture. "She might want this." He handed it to Olivia.

Olivia looked down at the picture. It was Lauren and Dickie. They were asleep on the couch and her head was laying on his lap. "Aww."

"Yeah, I came home late from work one night and took this on her digital camera." Elliot paused. "How am I gonna tell Dickie about Lauren?"

"I dunno, but it will work out." Olivia glanced at her watch. "Come on we barely have enough time to get to the hospital by one." With that, Elliot flipped off the light and shut the door.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

The detectives walked into Lauren's room right as the clock turned one. Lauren was sitting on a chair next to her freshly made bed, sit wearing her hospital gown. "Here we brought you some clothes," Olivia said handing her the duffle bag that she and Elliot had prepared earlier.

"Thanks," Lauren took the bag. "Um," she stared at Olivia wide eyed. Olivia immediately noted that they had put a sling on her arm so that the cut on her shoulder would heal properly. "Could you, you know?"

"Yeah, El?"

"I'll give you guys a moment." He walked outside the door and shut it softly behind him. Olivia walked over and locked it. As she did that, with her good arm, Lauren had already laid the outfit she was planning on wearing, a pair of gray sweat pants and a navy Hard Rock Café shirt.

Olivia untied the hospital gown and helped Lauren into her bra. Olivia noticed all the bruises on her back some bright blue showing there freshness. Others, a dim green showing their healing with time.

"This is kind of embarrassing." Lauren said, her face blushing as Olivia helped her into her sweat pants.

"Hey, we all need help some time."

"Yeah, well, I've been independent for so long. My dad was never there for me, I mean look where he got me. So I had to do everything by myself."

"I'm sorry about that." Olivia sympathetically gave her a hug.

"About what?"

"Not being around to protect you, to help you."

"Hey, you didn't know. I mean," tears started to well in her large, navy blue eyes. Lauren hunched back down in the chair and put her face in her arm that wasn't in the sling. "It's all my fault." Olivia took a seat next to her and put her arm around her.

"No, no, honey, it wasn't your fault." Olivia felt such sympathy for her.

"Yes," she said sniffling, "it was. I could have told Dickie or Elliot or Lizzie, but I let it happen to me. I let him hurt me."

"No, you were young when he started hurting you and kids can't fight back." Olivia lifted Lauren's chin, "Look at me." Lauren's eyes looked into Olivia's chocolaty, brown pools that were tearing up. Olivia and Lauren both felt as if there was some deep connection, beyond blood. It was in there souls, both had been hurt by their parents, both were forced to raise themselves. "This wasn't your fault. Your—Our father was a sick man. That's him and him alone, not me or you. Him." The two _sisters_ embraced in a hug. Lauren wiped her eyes with her hand.

"We better go check on Elliot." Lauren said standing up and grabbing her bag.

MEANWHILE

Elliot walked outside of Lauren's room. He picked up his cell and dialed Kathy's number.

"Hello?"

"Kathy, it's me. Is Dickie around? I need to tell him something—important." Kathy must have hinted the concern in his voice.

"Elliot, what happened?"

"Lauren—Lauren, has been attacked. I need to talk to Dickie, please. I can't explain it all now, but.."

"Elliot, it's fine." _DICKIE,telephone, _Elliot could hear Kathy yell for their son over the phone. _It's your father._

"Yeah, dad."

"Lauren was—she's in the hospital. Well, actually now she being released, but—"

Dickie's face went a ghostly pale. His eyes stung from trying to hold back the tears already beginning to well in his eyes. His legs and hands shook. He took a seat at the kitchen table. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His best friend, hurt. "What happened? Dad, is she okay?"

"She has a minor concussion and a few broken ribs, but she'll be fine." Elliot tried to remain as calm as he possibly could.

"Dad, _what happened?_" Dickie prayed to God it wasn't what he was thinking.

"She was attacked. By her father." Elliot spat the three words out. It made him physically ill to think about. He should have done something, anything to get her out of that house.

Dickie knew it. His blood began to boil. This was all of his fault. He knew about her father, but he did nothing. "Dad, where is she? Let me see her, talk to, anything!"

"Son, there's something you need to know." Elliot was trying to think of how to break the news to Dickie about her father, Joseph Hollister.

"What?" Dickie's ears were burning. He couldn't handle much more news.

Elliot sucked in his breath and told him everything, about Liv, Simon, Lauren and _their _father.

EOEOEOEOEOE

"Here, let me take that," Olivia said reaching over and grabbing Lauren's duffle bag out of her hands.

"You know, I can do things on my own," she retorted in a playful manner.

"Yeah, I know," she replied. "We better go. I think Elliot's probably bored out of his skull right now." She unlocked the door and the pair headed out in the hallway where they found Elliot, leaning against a wall talking on the phone.

"Hold on, let me ask," Elliot said into the phone. Looking at the two girls, he asked, "Would you mind if Dickie came along for lunch?" He was mainly asking Lauren rather than Olivia.

Lauren's navy eyes lit up, she tried to hide her excitement. "Sure," she replied in an all-too-cool tone. She was kind of nervous about seeing Dickie after all the chaos, but Dickie always made her feel better, no matter how awful the situation.

"Dickie, be ready in 10 minutes. We'll be over to pick you up. Yeah, okay, bye." Elliot flipped his phone shut. "I told him."

Lauren looked at him with a sigh of relief in her stance, "Thanks." She truly did not want to have to go through all the drama of telling all her embarrassing tales.

"Well, we better go check you out," Elliot lead the way as the trio made their way to the front desk. Elliot and Lauren went out to Elliot's car while Olivia signed the release form. "We'll pick you up at the front entrance," he stated before left dashed out the door.

"Okay." _God, he was so nice to her, not to mention hot and… Don't think about him._ Olivia regained her thoughts on the task at deciphering which papers she had and hadn't signed yet. Once all the papers were signed and filed, the clerk said that was it, she could go. Olivia walked outside and there sat Lauren in the back seat of Elliot's car. Elliot sat turned around in the driver's seat having a friendly chat with her. When he caught sight of her, he quickly spun around and looked toward the road. Elliot popped the trunk and Olivia placed Lauren's bag in it. Olivia walked over to the passenger's seat, opened the door, and plopped down.

"Ready?" Elliot said, his eyes glancing over the top of his sun glasses.

"Let's go."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot pulled into the driveway of his ex's home and beeped the horn. Less than 2 seconds later, Dickie came bounding out the house. Dickie got in the backseat.

"Hey Lauren," he said as he gave her a big hug. She was happy to be in his embrace. She didn't know what it was, but the slightest touch of his skin on hers made the world disengage away like sand running through your fingers.

Apparently the hug was a little too long because we were interrupted by, "Ahhmm."

"Oh, sorry. Hi, dad. Liv. SO where are we eating?" Dickie said.

"Where ever. Lauren?"

"I don't care. How about that diner over on 9th avenue?"

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"Charlie's Diner it is." Elliot shifted the car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

The foursome arrived at the restaurant a little after half past 1. The restaurant wasn't as packed as they had expected it to be, so they got seated pretty quickly. The usual noon crowd must have already come and gone by then. The waiter came and took their orders. Elliot, Liv, Dickie, and Lauren sat and chatted about everything. Birthdays, favorites, hobbies, anything that would help everyone get to know everyone in a better way. Well, actually, help Lauren and Olivia get to know each other better. Once everyone was stuffed to the point of getting sick, Elliot went to drop Lauren and Olivia off at Olivia's apartment.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," Dickie said, a look of hopefulness in his eyes.

"Well, would you want to walk up with me?" Lauren replied.

"Sure. Dad?"

"You two go ahead. I wanna talk to Olivia."

With that said the two teenagers hopped out of the car, "Here's the key," Olivia said handing her set to Lauren. "Apartment 4C."

"Thanks," then the pair headed up the stairs to the building.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

"I really liked hanging out with you," Dickie said when they were in the elevator.

"Yeah me too."

_DING_

The elevator doors opened. They walked the rest of the way to Olivia's apartment in silence. Lauren put the key in the lock until she heard it click. She headed inside but before she could Dickie grabbed her arm gently. She turned and looked at him.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

"Teenagers," Elliot said as he and Liv watched his son and his best friend walk up to Liv's apartment.

"Liv, I just wanna let you know that if you need anything. Help with Lauren or whatever, I mean I know I'm not the greatest parent, but any help I could…" she placed her first finger up to his lips. He was rambling and he knew it. He felt like such an idiot.

"You're cute when you care," she said. She gave him a smile. "Thanks, I'll let you know." She exited the vehicle, Elliot following her lead. He shut off the car and locked the door and walked with Olivia up to her apartment.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

"Lauren, I can't let you walk in there, not until I tell you something."

"What?" Dickie's eyes had this look of compassion and sympathy.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened. I mean, I have never been so afraid for someone in my entire life. Even when my dad got shot, it didn't feel like this. I could have did something but I didn't."

"Dickie…"

"And it really put some things in perspective for me."

"What things?" Lauren prayed to God it was what she was thinking.

"This," Dickie bushed the baby hairs away from her delicate face. He lightly kissed her. Lauren's knees went weak. Never in her life had she been kissed before. She didn't know how to react. She wanted that kiss as much as he did. She ran her fingers through his short brown hair.

_DING_

Both of them broke the kiss when they heard that sound. They looked over at the elevator to see Elliot and Liv looking at them, both of the teens wondering if they had seen the kiss. "Couldn't you find the key?" Relief flooded their faces, as Olivia made the comment. If they had seen, they weren't gonna make a big deal about it.

"Yeah, sorry, we were just talking and got distracted."

"Well, see you later, Laur." Dickie gave her a hug. Lauren wished she would never have to let go of him.

"Bye, see you Elliot." She waved a friendly wave at him.

He walked up and hugged her, "Thanks." She said as they broke the hug.

"See you tomorrow, Liv," he shook her hand. Olivia wished she had gotten a hug too, but she knew that wouldn't be appropriate.

"Bye, El." She gave him a friendly nod. "See you around?" she directed towards Dickie.

"Yeah, bye, Olivia." He waved at the two girls as he and his father jumped into the elevator.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia and Lauren both went inside the apartment with a sense of adoration. The boys that had just walked out the door and down the elevator gave them that sense of purpose. "So, how long have you and Dickie been, you know?"

Lauren's face turned blood red, _so she had seen us._

"Don't worry Elliot didn't see. I was blocking his view. So?"

"Actually, that was my first kiss." Lauren replied in a shy manner.

"Ever?" Olivia eyes were wide with awe. She could not believe this beautiful girl had never been kissed before.

"Yeah, I never wanted, to like, get that reputation. So I just hung out with the boys instead of dated them."

"Oh, I see. So do you like Dickie?"

"Yeah, I mean, I might love him. I know we're only 16 but, I've never wanted some one to hold me or touch me or even just be with him the way I want Dickie, you know?" Thinking about Dickie made her heart ache with longing, she wished she had had the time to tell him.

"Yeah," _I know, ever minute I'm apart from him I feel as if I might crawl out of my skin. His touch makes my nerves go raw. And when he speaks, the world fades away._

"So, why don't you have a boyfriend or husband?" Lauren's question interrupted Olivia's thoughts.

"I dunno. Never met the right person." _Wrong, he was right there, everyday, a torturing feeling because he was not hers._ "Okay so I'll show you the apartment and where to put your things."

EOEOEOEOEOEO

After the little tour, Lauren walked into "her" room. She was beginning to unpack her things when she noticed the picture Elliot had placed in her bag. She grabbed it and wrapped her arms around it. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes. After so many bad years, bad people in her life, Lauren's life was about to change for the better.

Or so she thought?


	2. Chapter 2

In the two weeks of living together, Lauren didn't think anyone's life could actually be lived like this. Besides the trial, and seeing her father put in jail, which was actually a good thing, life couldn't have possibly gotten any better. She and Dickie were still considered "friends," by everyone including Elliot and Kathy Stabler. The only person who knew about their relationship was Olivia. Lauren didn't really know why they acted like they weren't together, I mean, they hadn't even kissed after the first one. They just felt it was safer, at least for now to remain, "friends." Lauren and Olivia had worked out a good solid schedule with Lauren's school and Olivia's work. Sometimes Liv didn't come home until midnight, but Lauren would always be sitting, or sleeping, on the couch waiting for her to come home. And it was a late night like that when both of their lives would change.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Jake Thomas stood at the end of the hallway, partially hidden by the shadows. He had recently been released from prison. He didn't even really know what he was doing, but he did know that he was getting paid a lot of money to do it. He looked up when he heard the elevator doors swing open. He had been waiting for what seemed like hours and finally, the target had arrived. He watched as the woman tiredly walked to her apartment door and fumbled with the keys. He made his move. He walked up behind her and put a gun to the back of her head.

"Open the door. You say anything I'll shoot you and your rat of a sister."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia Benson could not believe what was happening to her. She had been working late, finishing up a case, she comes home and some guy with a gun is threatening to kill her. She slowly followed his directions. She opened the door, thinking, trying to find a way to escape. She reached for her gun that wasn't preoccupied with the door. _Not There!_ _Shoot! _She remembered today Cragen had told everyone to leave their guns before they left because it was time for the guns to be cleaned and checked for any problems. Olivia tried to remain calm. She entered her apartment, finding a familiar, yet frightening sight. Lauren asleep on the couch.

"I want you to go wake her up. Tell her to be quite." The man whispered harshly in her ears. Her ears were burning at the feeling of his hot breath.

"Please, just let her go." Olivia begged.

"Oh no," he said with a chuckle, "she's the reason I'm here. Daddy's Little Girl."

Olivia didn't know what to do so she just stood there. She wanted to protect Lauren, but how?

"Fine, if you won't I will." He pulled a second gun, one with a silencer, out of his jacket. Olivia was too preoccupied with trying to get Lauren out of his hands that she didn't realize he had the gun. A slight pop got her attention.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Lauren jolted awake to a hot pain running through her left arm. At first she thought she was dreaming, she looked at her arm, blood, pouring out of the wound. She went to scream but a hand quickly silenced her. "You say a word. She dies." The man said nodding towards Olivia with one of his guns. Lauren tried to calm down, and figure out what had happened. Had she been shot? She looked down at her arm again. A round hole in her arm gushed red blood all over the couch. Olivia stood wide eyes, looking at her, tears beginning to form.

"We're gonna have some fun, but first let's make sure we are not interrupted."

He reached down and took Liv's handcuffs and handcuffed her. Then he tied up her legs with the rope he had brought.

"Please, let her go. You want me not her." Lauren's face was red and puffy from her silent crying.

"No, we need an audience." He smirked causing a chill to go down her spine. When he was sure Olivia couldn't get out of the cuffs or rope, he turned to Lauren, an evil smile on his face.

"Daddy, says you're sweet. Let's just see how sweet."

"Wait no, please, don't make Liv see this. She can't see this." Lauren's pleading made Olivia become physically ill. She was about to witness a rape, but not just any rape. He was going to rape her sister.

"Fine," He picked Lauren up and put her in the nearest room, which just happened to be Liv's bedroom. "She can just listen and enjoy." Lauren was so terrified.

He started to rip off her shirt then he got a better idea. He pulled out his knife.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia was crying when she caught sight of her redemption. On the edge of the table sat her phone. She silently thanked God, as laid on the floor, trying to get up. She figured out a way to get her hands in the front of her body. She got up on her knees. She grabbed the phone she was about to dial 911 when she was interrupted by a scream. Then a barely audible pop. She regained thought and quickly the number.

"911 what is your emergency?"

"Hello, my name is Detective Olivia Benson and my sister is being attacked. I'm handcuffed in the other room. My apartment is 4C at Manhattan East. She's been shot once, possibly twice. Please hurry." Olivia could barely manage to choke the last phrase out.

"Okay, a team is on their way. Would you like me to stay on the phone?"

"No," she hung up, afraid the man might have already heard. She laid still.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Lauren really hadn't meant to scream but when he dug the knife into her leg the pain was insufferable.

"That was a warning," Jake said. The bullet had barely grazed the side of her left shoulder. "Any more screaming and it might get a little more interesting." He brought the knife down to her stomach and drew an x pattern. "X marks the spot." He licked up the blood that was beginning to seep out of the cut. Lauren face twisted in anguish.

"_No."_

Jake looked over his shoulder. He could have sworn that he had heard the older one say something.

"I'll be back." He left the room. Lauren had been looking for a way to get him out of the room. She remembered that Liv kept a gun in the second drawer in her night stand. She reached over, the pain was almost enough to make her pass out. She flung the drawer door open and reached inside. _Where was…_ Her hand grazed the cold metal. Now how to get him in here.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Jake walked over to Olivia and immediately noticed the cell phone lying in front of her.

"Naughty, naughty," he said shaking his head. "I wasn't gonna let you in on our little play date but now, I might just have to." He yanked her up off the floor so that she was sitting on her knees. His right arm flew back, gun in hand. The next thing Olivia saw was the carpet, the left side of her face burning. He kicked her in the stomach. The sudden force made all the air in her lungs rush out, leaving her gasping on the floor. He aimed the gun at her head. He counted mentally. _1, 2…_

"HELP!" Jake heard Lauren yelling at the top of her lungs.

"Shoot," he dashed around the sofa and made a beeline for the bedroom. He barely had stepped into the room when he was greeted by a bullet to the chest. He immediately dropped to the floor, dead.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia didn't know what was happening. She lay on the floor. She listened. She heard a gun shot, then, silence. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she finally managed a way to sit up. She began to work on untying the ropes around her legs.

_CRASH!_

She turned her head, in just enough time to see her apartment splinter open, nearly giving her a heart attack. Three men in uniform burst in. That was the last thing she saw before the darkness over took her.

EOEOEOEOEO

Olivia regained consciousness a few moments later. A tall man with dark hair was leaning over her checking the huge gash above her eyebrow. He was making sure to be gentle as he turned her over on her back.

"Please," Olivia choked, "get my sister. In the bedroom." She sat in an up right position, coughing as she sat up.

"You really need to lie down." He tried to lay her back into a resting position but she objected.

"NO, what you need to do is get and help my sister." Olivia didn't mean to be so harsh, but he just didn't understand. She was all Olivia had besides Elliot and he was always out of her reach.

"Ma'am we're taking care of her we have one other officer and a paramedic in with her. Now I need you to lie down."

Olivia tried to object but she went into a coughing fit. She covered her mouth with her hands and felt a wet substance on her palms. She looked down at her hands. Red, sticky, blood. She went into another coughing fit. The paramedic picked up his radio. "We need a stretcher up here now."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Lauren heard the door breaking from the bedroom. It was such a relief that she went unconscious.

An officer and the paramedic entered the room. The paramedic immediately radioed for a stretcher.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Bud, we got one dead man in here and a girl with two gunshot wounds and deep knife wounds to the upper thigh and stomach," the other officer said.

Olivia heard the man's radio and immediately was thankful. _Lauren isn't dead!_ But then another nasty battle entered her brain. She had just killed him. Olivia knew she would get off, but two trials in less than a month was hard for an adult, let alone a sixteen year old. Olivia was sick to her stomach. She couldn't understand why she could never protect Lauren. She hated herself. A string of 'If Only…' phrases ran through her mind. _If Only I had my gun. If only I'd have seen him down the hall. If only, if only, if only. _Olivia suddenly felt overwhelmingly dizzy. She tried to hold her head up but failed miserably. She slumped down into the paramedics arms, the darkness consuming her.

The two stretchers arrived one after the other, taking the two sisters down to the ambulance where they were rushed to the emergency room.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

"Stabler," Elliot's groggy voice echoed over the phone into the captain's ears.

"Elliot, I just got a call from 911. Benson and her sister were attacked at her apartment." Elliot didn't even wait for him to finish. He jumped out of bed and through on a pair of jeans over his boxers. He grabbed a tee shirt and his keys as he listened to all the details Don could give him.

"They were rushed to the emergency room. I figured you would want to know."

"Yeah, bye," Elliot's pulse pounded through his ears, he could feel emotion rising in his throat. It was an almost suffocating feeling. He dashed down the stairs to his car and put the keys in the ignition. He raced to the hospital, praying that they would be alright. He prayed he would have one last moment, one last chance to tell her how he truly felt. _Liv, you can't go, not until you know._ He parked the car. The tires squealed as the vehicle came to a halt. He quickly locked the doors and sprinted for the entrance. He dashed to the front desk.

"I'm looking for Olivia Benson or Lauren Smith," the desk clerk noted the urgency in his voice and quickly checked through her files on the computer.

"Olivia Benson is in recovery and Lauren, it looks like she's still in surgery. Dr. Brown is the doctor in charge of Miss Benson. Recovery is on the 3rd floor, you can talk to the clerks up there."

"Thanks," Elliot ran for the elevator. He got in and pushed the number 3. The doors opened and he walked up to the desk clerk.

"I need to see Olivia Benson."

The lady typed a few keys on her computers then looked up at him, "She's in room 317."

"Thanks, and could you tell the doctor who's in charge of Lauren Smith's surgery to tell me immediately when she's out."

"Yes, 317 is down the hall on the right."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot walked into Olivia's room, Cragen sat against a wall. Elliot gazed at Olivia's sleeping form. A bandage covered the area above Olivia's left eye.

"How is she?"

"She had some minor internal bleeding and some severe bruising on her abdominal region. Other than that, she should be fine."

Elliot released the breath he had been holding in. Cragen saw some of the color coming back to Elliot's face.

"I'm gonna leave and see what CSU found about our perp. Take it easy, Stabler." Cragen slipped out noting that his detective hadn't heard a word he just said. He just stared at Olivia. I strange look wearing on his face.

Elliot gazed longingly at Olivia. He was so angry. Why didn't he walk her up the stairs?

'_Let me walk you up, it's late.' Elliot said as he pulled in front of her apartment._

'_Elliot, I'll be fine.' Olivia said with that cute little smile that he couldn't resist. 'Thanks though.'_

'_Okay then, see you tomorrow.' He waited 'til she had entered the building before he drove off to his apartment._

He could have been there for her, should have been there for her. He pulled his chair up next to the bed. He grabbed her hand and kissed it lightly.

"Liv, I'm sorry. Baby, I'm sorry. For everything, the little fights, the huge blow ups, for never telling you." He stroked her mocha brown hair. It was matted and tangled. He attempted to smooth it down. Even though, her hair was a mess and she had a white bandage covering her face, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He stared in a trans-like state for what seemed like hours, praying for some sign that she would wake up.

He saw her beginning to stir. Her legs jolted to the side. She started whimpering and talking in her sleep. "Stop, please, don't. Elliot, help, please stop!" Her eyes flashed open wide. She jolted herself in an upright position causing Elliot to sit up. She winced in pain. Her abs still hurt from the beating she had taken that night. Olivia's breathing was labored. She looked around at her surroundings. She was in a hospital a familiar face sat next to her holding her hand. _Why was she here unless… It wasn't just a dream. LAUREN!_ "Where's Lauren?"

"Shh, calm down. It was just a bad dream. Lauren is in surgery." He urged Olivia to lie back down. She gently lay back onto the pillow, her breathing steadying. Liv's eyes looked into Elliot's, but they weren't really seeing. A haze clouded her coffee colored eyes. "Liv, what happened?"

Her vision jolted back to his crystal eyes, tears threatening to fall. "El, I don't know he was just there, and he had a gun, well two guns, and if I had seen the second gun he wouldn't have shot her the first time and maybe I could have fought him off and," she broke down. She covered her face with her hands. Elliot watched, his eyes filled with sympathy. He loved her and he wanted to be there for her. He reached up and took her hands. He kissed her fingers lightly. Then, as he held her hands with his left hand, he reached up with his right and brushed away her tears.

"Liv, you can't blame yourself. You saved her, whether you believe me or not, you did. You called the police and got her out of there. Without you, who knows what could have happened."

"El, he shot her, twice, how is that saving her? I mean, I don't even know what happened in there. She could have been raped or, oh God, what did he do to her? I need to see her, please. I _have_ to see her."

"I'll get you to her as soon as possible, but Liv I need to tell you something." He looked deeply into her eyes. Liv stared back, wearing a face of doubt. She looked down, she felt defeated, like a failure. Elliot had never seen Liv look so crushed before. "Olive Benson," he had a scolding yet tender tone, "Don't you dare get down on yourself. Lauren needs you." He pulled her chin up, "Look at me," her eyes averted his gaze. "Look at me!" She hesitantly looked toward him. "Liv, you have to be strong."

"Why? What's the point? I fail everyone, I can't save her. I can't protect anyone. El, I can't even be there you." Her eyes leaked tears.

"Liv, when have you ever failed me? Hmm? Even so, I will always be here for you." He kissed her forehead lovingly. "Always." He smiled at her. She stared at him. _Maybe he's trying to say what I think he's trying to say. No, it was like a brother-sister thing. _"Liv, I just wanna say that, tonight scared me. I thought you died, and I can't just sit here and hold this in. I l..."

"Mr. Stabler, Miss Benson, Lauren just got out of surgery." The pair looked at the doctor who had just entered the room.

"So, what did you find?" Olivia's ears were burning.

"She had two gunshot wounds, one was just a small wound on the other the bullet was still inside the body so we had to go and repair the damage caused, but she'll be fine. She also had several knife wounds, some deeper than others along her thighs and abdomen. She also has bruising on her face and on her inner thighs and vaginal area. No fluids."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her sister shot, cut, fondled. She felt so guilty, so, so guilty.

"Can we see her?" Elliot's question jolted her out of her daze.

"El, I don't know if I can do this." Olivia said softly as he wheeled her in a wheel chair towards Lauren's room, doctor's orders.

"Liv, this wasn't your fault." He stopped when he reached the door. It was closed. He bent down and looked her straight in the eyes. "Liv, you can't blame yourself for this."

"El, what if she is a broken mess. I can't help her, I can barely help myself." She buried her face in her hands and cried softly.

"Liv, no one can do everything on their own. Let me help you and Lauren." He reached up and took her hands in his and kissed them. He looked her straight in the eyes, "Please, Liv, I can't bare to see you kill yourself over this. Let me help you."

She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Okay," she nodded, "Thanks, El, for being here."

"You're welcome."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

The pair slowly opened the door to reveal Lauren's sleeping form, her chest steadily rising and falling. Elliot was about to wheel Liv over to her bed when she stopped him.

"I can walk. The doctor's not looking now anyway." Elliot didn't object, he knew how hard it had been to get her in there in the first place. Olivia walked over towards the empty seat next to her bed. Elliot gently shut the door and walked over to the chair next to her. Olivia scooted her chair up so she could hold Lauren's hand. She stroked it.

"Lauren, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm sorry. OH God, I'm so sorry." Olivia placed her forehead on Lauren's hand. She kissed it lightly. "Sorry," she whispered so softly Elliot wasn't even sure if she had said it.

Elliot placed his hand on Liv's shoulder. He rubbed it gently. He felt her tense muscles relax a bit. The two sat in silence for a while.

"Liv, you need to rest."

"No, I'm fine." She jerked her self up right, so she wouldn't show her urge to give in to sleep.

"Liv, it's fine. I'm here." Liv didn't want to admit it, but she was tired to complain. She leaned her head back on the chair. She squirmed a bit trying to find a comfortable spot. Before she could move again, Elliot had already patted his shoulder. She caved leaning in on him. He moved his arm and wrapped it around her. She was grateful to be wrapped in the warmth of him. She wished that she could always fall asleep in her arms, she wished she had the guts to tell him that she loved him, she needed him, but she knew he didn't feel the same way. And that was the last thing she thought before sleep consumed her.

EOEOEOEOEO

Elliot stared at the sleeping woman lying on him. He bent and kissed her forehead. He lightly stroked her arm. "I love you," he whispered. His thoughts were jolted by the stirring on the bed. Lauren was waking up.

EOEOEOEOEO

Lauren felt her self waking up, but she didn't want to. She wanted to die. She had been shot, cut, he touched her. Then, she killed him. She really didn't know who he was, but she did know that her dad had hired him. He had told her this much as he felt her.

Lauren didn't dare open her eyes. She didn't want to face the truth. While she was here, in dream world, she didn't have to face what had happened. But then again, she was worried about Liv, she wasn't quite sure of anything that had happened to her. She opened one eye. She saw Elliot, sitting there, watching her. Beside him, Olivia laid asleep on his shoulder. Lauren wished Dickie was there, to hold her, to comfort her. She suddenly became afraid, what if Dickie didn't love her because of what happened. She was saving herself for marriage, or at least until she was sure she loved that person. And now, in one night, he had violated her. He didn't rape her, but it still felt the same. She couldn't trust her feelings. Dickie wouldn't love her. So she couldn't love him.

Elliot looked at her. She opened both of her eyes. She saw relief wash over his face. He gently shook Olivia. "Liv, Lauren's awake." Olivia's eyes became more alert. She sat up and looked at Lauren, tears threatened to fall. She didn't know what to say. What could she say?

"Lauren?" Elliot asked.

Lauren could barely find her voice. "Hey," was the only thing she could manage.

"Do you feel okay? Anything hurt?" Elliot was feeling her forehead. No fever.

Surprisingly there was no pain; the doctors must have been pumping morphine through her. "No, I'm fine. Liv, are you okay?" She looked over at her sister then reached for her hand. Olivia grabbed it and held tight.

"Yeah, I'm okay now that you're awake." Liv felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She didn't know what was gonna happen from here on out, but she did know that they would get through it together. Her and Lauren. And Elliot.

"Does Dickie know?" Lauren's innocent question bore feelings of ache.

"No, no we haven't told him. Do you want us to?" Olivia knew that he would find out eventually, but she wasn't going to say anything unless Lauren wanted it.

"Yeah, he should know, he's my best friend. Would you do it?" She looked at Elliot. Then he got it.

"I'll leave you two alone." Elliot left the room and pulled out his cell phone. He walked down the hall to the lobby as he dialed the number. _He's probably just getting up for school, _he thought as he read his watch. 7:22.

The phone rang. Once, twice. "Hello?" The sound of his ex-wife's familiar voice sounded over the phone.

"Kathy, it's Elliot. Is Dickie around?"

She could hear the stress in his voice and knew something was wrong. "He had to leave early for a 7:30 meeting at school." She could hear him sigh. "Elliot?"

"Lauren and Olivia were attacked at their apartment early this morning. I thought Dickie should know."

"Oh God, what happened?"

Elliot quickly explained all that he knew about the attack.

"I'm sorry, Elliot. I really am." Elliot could tell that she was sincere.

"Thanks, I'll pick Dickie up from school. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, go ahead. Take care of yourself Elliot."

"Yeah, you too." He hung up then walked to the cafeteria to get some coffee.

EOEOEOEOEO

As soon as Elliot left it became quiet. Neither girl knew what to say to each other. Finally Liv broke the silence.

"Lauren, I…"

"Olivia, don't, I know what you're gonna say. It wasn't your fault. Don't apologize. If it wasn't for you, I could be dead."

Olivia started to cry, tears flowed down her cheeks freely. How could she be so brave? Olivia hugged Lauren, making sure not to hurt her wounds. "You're so brave."

"Yeah, right," Lauren rolled her eyes. "You're the brave one. I'm not brave; I couldn't even tell anyone about our father." Tears welled in her eyes.

"Hey, that wasn't your fault…"

"Yes, it was, he beat me for so long. I could have told. I should have told. Then maybe this wouldn't have happened. This was my fault. That man came because of me, because of my father. He said that my father paid him a lot of money. I'm sorry, Olivia. It's because of me that this happened." Lauren buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"Lauren, no, never say that. It wasn't your fault. You were too young when he started it. You didn't know what to do." Olivia wrapped her arms around her and sobbed with her. "I'm sorry this happened. I'm sorry." Liv didn't know what to say so she just said what she felt, "You are brave. So much more than you think." They sat there and cried for what seemed like hours.

"Liv, what about Dickie?"

"What about him?"

"I love him, but how could he ever, I mean, I feel so dirty, so worthless. I don't deserve him. I was only fooling myself. No one could ever love me."

Liv looked at her with pain, she knew exactly how she felt. She had felt the same way her entire life. "That's not true. Elliot loves you like a daughter and I love you. Lauren, know that. You are my sister and I love you."

"I love you, too, Liv. Thank you, so much, for everything."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEO

Elliot peeked in through the door to find Olivia and Lauren sobbing and hugging each other.

"…could ever love me."

"That's not true. Elliot loves you like a daughter and I love you. Lauren, know that. You are my sister and I love you."

"I love you, too, Liv. Thank you, so much, for everything."

Elliot's eyes began to tear up. _I love you, too, Liv. _He wanted so bad to walk in there, wrap his arms around her, and tell her that. He opened the door and walked in he wrapped his arms around the girls. Olivia turned to look at him. The pair just sat there, looking deeply into each others eyes, as they held Lauren, who was weeping in their arms.

"Lauren, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I consider you one of my own children. I love you. If you ever need anything, just call."

"Thanks, Elliot."

"Your welcome." He reached over and kissed her on the forehead.

EOEOEOEOEOEO

Olivia sat back and witnessed the love and care of Elliot. She fell more and more in love with him with each passing moment. She wished that it was her that he was kissing. She sat back in her chair and Elliot leaned back onto his heels. Lauren collapsed on her pillow. She looked worn out. Huge, black circles were under her eyes and she looked pale.

"We'll let you sleep. Liv, Let's go check to see when you two can leave." Elliot grabbed Liv's wheel chair and Olivia reluctantly sat down. They left the room and headed for the desk clerk.

"Liv, you okay?" He placed one hand on her shoulder as he wheeled her with the other hand.

"Yeah, well, I guess. Honestly, I dunno. It all depends on Lauren."

"She'll make it, she's got you."

She smiled slightly to her self. She was flattered. "Thanks, El, that means a lot."

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO

After they talked to the desk clerk, they returned to Olivia's room to pack her things.

"I'm glad I don't have to be here any longer, well, be a patient here any longer. I think I'm gonna stay with Laur until she leaves."

"Liv, after we check you out, would you want to go to Dickie's school with me? I told Kathy what happened and I said I would pick him up. She's gonna allow him to stay with me for the time being."

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Once the pair had checked Olivia out and packed her things, they headed to Elliot's car.

Being the perfect gentleman that he was, Elliot opened the passenger's door for Olivia.

"Thanks."

He shut the door and then walked over to the driver's door and got in.

EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO


End file.
